Knitting up for Christchurch

This group of grannies love a good yarn especially when it is helping bring comfort to victims of the Christchurch earthquake.
The aptly named Nitter Natter group meets every Monday afternoon at Greenwood Park Retirement Village to knit, loop andpurl winter woollies.
Nitter Natter member Joan Deane said she came up with the idea to knit for Christchurch after she heard of a fashion chain offering to sell people's knitted scarves for $10 to raise money.
"I thought 'well, we could knit ourselves and help out more directly'," Ms Deane said. "So everybody decided to knit and contribute wool." The group has about 18 members. The fruits of their labour are being distributed to earthquake victims through Tauranga volunteer group Rise Up, created to assist those displaced by the quake.
Rise Up's Rosalie Crawford said two months on, Christchurch refugees were still bunking down in garages, tents and lounges.
Ms Crawford said the group had already received hats, scarves, slippers and blankets from Nitter Natter. "The first shipment of these will go down to Christchurch with the 85 boxes that Tauranga City Council are sending and will be distributed to people in Christchurch who need warm clothing."
Nitter Natter also knit merino wool singlets for Tauranga Hospital newborns and as a way to give back to the community.